There are a number of genetic and environmental risk factors for insensitivity to insulin and limited beta-cell reserves, including ethnicity, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, family history of type 2 diabetes, puberty, low birth weight, exposure to diabetes in the uterus, and female gender.

“In a study appearing in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Takashi Kadowaki and colleagues from the University of Tokyo, Japan, show that in mice with high-fat diet–induced insulin resistance, changes in glucose concentration are likely to be the main trigger of increased beta-cell mass.”

The new study places increased emphasis on promoting the replication of adult beta cells4 and the differentiation of beta cells from embryonic stem cells at the expense of pursuing research into the use of adult stem cells for beta-cell replacement.